Category Archives: Mary Lou Lord

Mary Lou Lord was my introduction to indie rock. If it weren’t for her song “His Indie World”, that I heard on a syndicated indie radio show on Sunday nights called “Spin Radio” (later– “Revolution Radio”), I would have never discovered the numerous classic indie rock bands she references in that song, until many, many years later. But in early 1995, when I first heard this song (lyrics below), I begun my true musical education looking for all those bands’ CDs at local, used record stores. What an education it was, too. What an enjoyable journey. And of course, I had to own all of Mary Lou Lord’s releases, too. And man, I fuckin’ LOVED them. I’ve been influenced by a lot of female musicians in my life, but I think the very first were Juliana Hatfield, Tanya Donnely, and Mary Lou Lord.

A few years after hearing “His Indie World” (from her self-titled EP), Mary Lou released her major label debut, “Got No Shadow”, which has “Lights Are Changing” (Bevis Frond cover, which appears on her first EP), as well as one of my favorite songs, ever, “His Lamest Flame” (the opening track– a lyrical response to Elvis Presley’s “Marie’s The Name (His Latest Flame)”). So creative, and so damn catchy. In my opinion, a much better song than the one Elvis recorded.

As I listen to her, as I’m writing this, it’s again clear that Mary Lou Lord is just one of those singer-songwriters that speaks to the very essence of your soul. You have an emotion, and you put on one of her albums, and she just gets you. It’s not really the other way around… you thinking, “I totally relate to her! Man, what a great song.” No. She relates to YOU. She gets you. That’s just her sound, her energy, her presence. Her music is that transcendent…. it just reaches in, and pulls, pulls, pulls. She’s said of The Bevis Frond (probably her favorite band) how altruistic, honest, and genuine his music is. I can see that in the Bevis Frond, without a doubt, but I also see those very traits in her music.

Mary Lou was very musically active in the 90s, but after she had her daughter (coincidentally, a talented singer/songwriter, herself!), she got really quiet, musically. Most likely because she wanted to raise her daughter right, but man, what a musical void she left during the 2000s.

From 2001-2015 she basically didn’t do much, musically… maybe a one-off show here and there in her native Boston (and she’s never really stopped busking in Boston, which is how she got discovered), and then she did a 2004 album called “Baby Blue”, released on a small label (I really love that record even though so few people know of it).

And then, recently, she dropped a lovely collection of songs on all her fans, with her latest record, “Backstreet Angels.” It is a collection of covers and original songs (as is common with basically everything she releases), and quite a collection it is, indeed. At 50 years of age, she’s still got it. She still sounds like she’s in her mid-20s, doing the gritty acoustic jangle-pop she’s done so well.

On a personal note, I’ve been following her on facebook for a while. A few years ago, I read on her website that she had suffered from a vocal cord condition called spasmodic dysphonia (involuntary spasms during speech, and occasionally singing). I was concerned that maybe that’s why she was so quiet, musically, after 2004. She didn’t post really anything (or at least anything I could see initially). All of a sudden, I started seeing a lot more posts by her, talking about her record and whatnot. I initially wasn’t able to comment on any of her posts, as we weren’t proper friends, but one day, I saw that I was able to comment. I happily commented several times, about how much I love her as a person and as a singer/songwriter, and she responded to every comment I posted. I was so thrilled! Here was Mary Lou Lord, one of my biggest songwriting influences, kinda sorta talking to me on facebook. One day, she said I should send her my music, as she was planning on doing a music blog type of thing in the near future. So honored that she would actually give a shit about some unknown dude’s tunes. She actually added me as a friend proper, one day after that, and I gladly accepted her request. It seems like we have a nice online friendship and rapport going on, in our random facebook banter/comments. She’s just a super-cool woman (and I’d say I’m a pretty cool dude, myself, haha). Seeing her posts usually make my day, as she always has something cool to share (often musically, as do I), and, without me sounding too “fanboy” about it all, I’m just really happy that we shoot the shit and talk music. And, I told her yesterday that I’ve been meaning to promote her new record and talk about her music, and she was really happy to hear that… so, here it is!

Without further ado, please allow me to share some of my favorite Mary Lou Lord songs with you all. And, for you Spotify users (wait, you’re not on Spotify yet? What are you WAITING for?), here is the full album stream of her latest record. Enjoy!

God, those harmonies on “Some Jingle Jangle Morning”…. KILL ME.

Her brilliant duet with Elliott Smith

The Archies song “Sugar Sugar” (with Semisonic). The best cover on “Saturday Morning Cartoon’s Greatest Hits”, by far.

And I’ve got to stream “Got No Shadow”, too…. it’s so worth your time. One of the most overlooked 90s albums, period.

Thanks, Mary Lou. 🙂

“His Indie World” lyrics:

I don’t think I fit into his indie worldGuided By Voices and Velocity GirlEric’s Trip and Rocket Ship, Rancid and Rocket from The CryptBikini Kill and Built to Spill, it’s plain to see that I don’t fitHe says my songs are too deep and gloomyHe wishes that I could be more like Jenny ToomeyJust give me my Joni my Nick, Neil, and BobYou can keep your Tsunami, your Slant 6 and SmogWhat’s the story he says ButtergloryI say what’s the news he says the Silver JewsHis Heavenly hang-up is getting me downAnd it’s making me wonder why he’s hanging aroundCause I don’t fit into his indie sceneHuggy Bear and Helium and Half-JapaneseSebadoh and Sentridoh and Superchunk and I don’t knowDoug and Lou and Calvin too and Kim and Kim and Kim and KimYeah I’m stuck in the past and he’s stuck on his four-trackBut I can’t get through to his one-track mindI push play and record and a major chordMaybe I’ll win his heart this timeMaybe I’ll win his heart this time

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